Chinese company Zotye Auto, renowned for its passion for cloning well-known models of predominantly German brands, once again surprised the automotive community at the international Shanghai bride in April 2015 by officially unveiling its flagship E-class sedan called the Zotye Z700 to the public. And all would be fine, but the car is striking in its resemblance to the Audi A6L, both outside and inside. At the end of December, the three-volume machine went on sale at home, whether it will appear in other markets is still unknown.
Externally, the Zotye Z700 resembles an elongated "six" from Ingolstadt, but does not completely copy it. The Chinese sedan looks attractive, modern and presentable, demonstrating powerful and at the same time dynamic outlines of a three-volume body with elegant optics and embossed bumpers. The finishing touches in the construction of the flagship image are made by a pair of "trunks" of the exhaust system and beautiful wheel rims measuring 17 or 18 inches.
In terms of its overall dimensions, the four-door from the Middle Kingdom belongs to the European class "E": 5020 mm in length, 1469 mm in height and 1877 mm in width. There is a 3000 mm gap between the axles of the car, and its ground clearance is 153 mm.
Inside, the Zotye Z700 almost completely copies the Audi A6L, not only in architecture and design, but also in colors. That is why the decoration of the "Chinese" looks relevant and quite presentable - a simple and laconic "toolkit", a three-spoke multifunctional steering wheel with a raised rim and a wide central "chest of drawers" with a retractable multimedia system screen, an analog clock and stylish blocks of "music" and "climate". The decoration of the flagship model is solidly cut with high-quality materials - pleasant plastics, genuine leather, wood and aluminum inserts.
In the front of the car, there are comfortable seats with a wide profile, unobtrusive support on the sides and a bunch of all kinds of adjustments. The rear sofa provides passengers with a large margin of space, especially in the legs, but only two people can sit on it as comfortably as possible due to the protruding transmission tunnel.
The luggage compartment of the Zotye Z700 in the standard position can hold up to 360 liters of useful luggage. The backrest of the second row of seats, "cut" into two asymmetric parts, fits into the floor, which opens an opening for transporting long items.
Specifications. The Chinese three-volume is equipped with a non-alternative gasoline engine - a 1.8-liter "four" with the factory marking TN4G18T, equipped with a turbocharger and a direct power system, the output of which is 177 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 245 Nm of torque, reached in the range from 2000 to 4000 rpm.
The motor is equipped with a 5-speed "mechanics" or 6-band "robot" with two clutches, as well as a front axle wheel drive. Depending on the modification, the car is capable of reaching a top speed of 200-210 km / h, and its average fuel consumption varies from 8.1 to 8.5 liters for each "hundred" of the way in combined driving conditions.
At the heart of the Zotye Z700 lies a front-wheel drive platform with independent suspension on the front and rear axles - McPherson struts and multi-link architecture, respectively. In the "base" the sedan from the Middle Kingdom is equipped with a rack-and-pinion steering mechanism with an electric power steering. The wheels of the car accommodate ventilated disc brakes at the front and disc at the rear, supplemented by ABS systems with EBD and other "helpers".
Options and prices. In the Chinese market, sales of Zotye Z700 are carried out at prices ranging from 99,800 to 158,800 yuan (~ 1.15-1.8 million rubles), it is possible that in the future it may appear in Russia.
As standard, the car is equipped with LED DRLs, parking sensors front and rear, multifunction steering wheel, dual-zone "climate", audio system with ten speakers, six airbags, multimedia complex with an 8-inch screen, ABS with EBD, ESP and other modern "gadgets".
